Princess casino offers vs. Holland America offers

[roxievegas]

haven't been able to get any responses regarding Holland America, so hopefully this topic will generate some responses

 

Princess:  on the final day before docking, casino players receive a "come back and play" offer slipped under the door based on the casino play for that cruise.

 

Does Holland America do this and can you provide your offers ?

 

Princess has VIP cruises which comes with day "presents" left in the cabin. - chocolates, strawberries, etc.

 

Does Holland America ?

 

Princess offers have gotten worst in the past year.  Last year we were offered free balcony, plus packages (drinks, gratuities, wifi) and casino play

 

What kind of offers do you receive from Holland America ?

 

thanks for your replies

 

 

[AV8rix]

Answers to first two questions is "yes".  I guess that's because they're both under the umbrella of the OPC (Ocean Players Club), a CCL subsidiary.

 

Can't provide specific offers -- they will vary for each persons level of play, so mine may not match yours.

 

As to "kinds of offers", I would suspect that they are similar -- free or discounted staterooms, free drinks while playing, free play in varying amounts.

Edited July 7, 2023 by AV8rix

[sgvcruiser]

Yes, they do have CBS but I forgot my point so my offer would not be useful as comparison. The main different with Princess is you have one year vs 6 months to use your CBS. That's a plus for me. 

 

Holland America also has their own casino VIP/ultra VIP cruises. It does seem they are a bit late to the party so to speak so they are still developing this one. I am goingn to one for December 2023 Panama Xmas sailing and it includes free excursion etc. I tried to find more info as of what excursion or which one, but so far noone knows since this is the first time they are doing it. 

 

Other things to consider about Holland's Casino:

1. Once you get 1500 points, you can ask for free drinks in Casino. 

2. 5000 points, ask for free specialty restaurant meals

3. They don't really have "core offer", instead you will receive offers through email for specific cruises.

I find this one a mix baggage. They could be really generous, especially for "last minute" sailing - free verandah (balcony), free drinks, free play - and even for long sailings! Princess core offers typically valid for two years or more but limited to 14 days sailing. Holland offer could include 20+ days sailing - even transpacific! - but you need to be ready to travel in 6 months to 1 year. 

4. You have to pay full when you book and you will forfeit the WHOLE amount if you cancel. So make sure you have travel insurance to cover.

5. Supposedly once you are part of their casino list, the discount would automatically shown when you try to book onlline. That's their "core offer". It's been a mix result when I try. Other than that, there is no way (yet) to see what offer you have. 

6. Even for casino booking, you can still get offer for last minute upgrade. They don't outsource this into bidding like Princess - instead you will receive an email with the offer detail. Simpy call them, ask what available room and pay if you accept it. 

 

Last, as far as problem with reservation and mistakes - that's pretty much the same accross the Ocean Players Club 😐. So I always print out the email offers and confirmation. 

 

Hope that helps. 

[roxievegas]

23 hours ago, sgvcruiser said:

Yes, they do have CBS but I forgot my point so my offer would not be useful as comparison. The main different with Princess is you have one year vs 6 months to use your CBS. That's a plus for me. 

 

Holland America also has their own casino VIP/ultra VIP cruises. It does seem they are a bit late to the party so to speak so they are still developing this one. I am goingn to one for December 2023 Panama Xmas sailing and it includes free excursion etc. I tried to find more info as of what excursion or which one, but so far noone knows since this is the first time they are doing it. 

 

Other things to consider about Holland's Casino:

1. Once you get 1500 points, you can ask for free drinks in Casino. 

2. 5000 points, ask for free specialty restaurant meals

3. They don't really have "core offer", instead you will receive offers through email for specific cruises.

I find this one a mix baggage. They could be really generous, especially for "last minute" sailing - free verandah (balcony), free drinks, free play - and even for long sailings! Princess core offers typically valid for two years or more but limited to 14 days sailing. Holland offer could include 20+ days sailing - even transpacific! - but you need to be ready to travel in 6 months to 1 year. 

4. You have to pay full when you book and you will forfeit the WHOLE amount if you cancel. So make sure you have travel insurance to cover.

5. Supposedly once you are part of their casino list, the discount would automatically shown when you try to book onlline. That's their "core offer". It's been a mix result when I try. Other than that, there is no way (yet) to see what offer you have. 

6. Even for casino booking, you can still get offer for last minute upgrade. They don't outsource this into bidding like Princess - instead you will receive an email with the offer detail. Simpy call them, ask what available room and pay if you accept it. 

 

Last, as far as problem with reservation and mistakes - that's pretty much the same accross the Ocean Players Club 😐. So I always print out the email offers and confirmation. 

 

Hope that helps. 

thank you for your detailed info.

we are planning to book a cruise with Holland with a casino land based certificate.  Free inside, nothing else, but it gets on board.  Will see what offers we get after.  Would love to use for their Alaska cruises, like some I have seen.

[roxievegas]

Wanted to give an update of my conversation with Holland America casino rep

 

I called this morning and the call was "in america" and I got a real nice women.  I told her I had the certificate that I received from the land based casino.  She took info from me and then told me that the offer was for an inside cabin, up to 12 days long (no more) and certain holiday periods were not available.

So I gave her a date for a 7 night cruise and asked how much if we wanted to upgrade from an inside to balcony

the cruise is out of San Diego.  Inside cabin cost on the Holland website is $699 per person.  If we took it we would pay $255 for port taxes each person, $99 each for the travel insurance each..  Upgrading to a oceanview would be $50 each, or balcony $150 each.   So total for balcony using the free inside certificate would cost $948 - pay up front, same as Princess, but Princess requires a $200 each deposit, given back once on board the ship as OBC.  Holland does not require a deposit, and if we cancel we lose 10% of the total amount paid - $94.80

 

We leave next week on a Princess cruise, but when we get back I will be booking our first Holland America cruise.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

Roxie, can I inquire which land based casino ?

Is it the dealio thru Wynn?

[roxievegas]

Harrah's Rincon Casino in northern San Diego county

 

The offer was a certificate, you call the number and you chose which cruise line you want to go with Holland America or Princess.

 

Since we have been on 15 cruises with Princess, we currently get better offers than the certificate, but we wanted to try Holland America,.  We are only Diamond members with Harrah's so our offer was only an interior cabin for free, no added perks and no play money

 

This certificate was the way we started with Princess years ago

[roxievegas]

Update.

after going back and forth with Holland or Princess - we are doing nothing

 

We found a 10 cruise on Holland to Mexico that my brother was interested in and we thought we would check it out.

My husband had a free room and he would book it with my brother as his guest

I had a free room and I would book solo

because Labor Day weekend was so busy I did not get a call back until yesterday.

 

cost was going to be an additional $1,000 each cabin to go from free interior to obstructed balcony

which is way more than what I was quoted for the 7 day.

 

we said no thank you and checking out something on Princess.

 

with the high costs of internet, water, etc on board Holland, we are better off with Princess.  Now that we are elite, we get free drinks in the mini fridge, and if we pick a VIP, free drinks in casino, internet cost $7.50 a day, Holland is $29.99 a day

 

[roxievegas]

Update

 

what a difference a day makes.

 

Decided not to use our free certificate for free cabin with Holland.

 

We booked a 17 Alaska cruise with Princess for May of 2025 - yes 606 days to sail a way.

 

We upgraded our free interior cabin  to a oceanview window cabin on Lido deck for $1200 (total).